Sonepur: BJD leaders slammed the state BJP and the central government over the Mahanadi issue during the Mahanadi Surakshya Janajagaran Abhijan here on Friday evening.

Water resources minister Niranjan Pujhari slammed the Centre's apparent bias against Odisha in this issue. He said: "In this fight, the people of Odisha will emerge victorious. We have faith on the judiciary of the country. We will be victorious."

"Every Odia need to know the ill intention of the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh government that is trying to run the Mahanadi dry in Odisha. We should do our bit to save the river," he said.

Rajyasabha MP Prasanna Acharya, who is leading the campaign, said: "The fight over Mahanadi shouldn't be treated as that of the BJD only. It is the fight of the people of Odisha. Everyone must come forward to support it."

Among other senior leaders, Gourahari Mishra and state student BJD president Rana Pratap Patra also addressed the gathering.

In the afternoon, a motorcycle rally was organised in Sonepur to welcome the Mahanadi Surakshya Janajagarana Yatra, which had started from Jharsuguda district and came to Sonepur via Binika.

Hundreds of BJD workers took part in the motorcycle rally.

During the campaign, meetings were also held at Birmaharajpur and Ulunda where minister Debi Mishra and Western Odisha Development Council chairman Kishore Mohanty spoke.